Scottsbluff City Council Regular Meeting – October 19, 2026

The Scottsbluff City Council met in regular session on Monday, October 19, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 2525 Circle Drive, Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The council approved consent items, handled the removed Intralinks claim, received the September 2026 financial report, held two public hearings, adopted the 2026 Comprehensive Plan, approved the Garage Condos redevelopment plan, amended curb-cut and driveway approach rules, awarded a compact wheel loader bid, approved participation in the WNED Regional Housing Study, and heard Council Member Jerry Vidlak announce his resignation.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes of the October 5, 2026 regular meeting.
• Excused Council Member Vidlak's absence from the September 21, 2026 regular meeting.
• Approved the appointment of Kira Perez to the Library Board for a five-year term.
• Set a public hearing for November 2, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., to receive information about making a recommendation to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission on a Class C Liquor License for El Charrito Restaurant & Lounge, Inc., 802 21st Ave., Scottsbluff.
• Approved the city claims on the consent calendar, with the Intralinks claim pulled for separate action.

Removed Claim

• Council approved the removed claim to Intralinks in the amount of $11,525.99 after discussion clarifying that it covered data backup services for the library and a combined City Hall/Police Department backup.

Financial Report

• Finance Director Lane Kazire presented the September 2026 Financial Report. Sales tax was above projections: the city budgeted $8.1 million and received about $8.2 million, roughly $137,000 above projection; September sales tax was about $15,000 above September 2025.
• Property tax collections were approximately 99% of anticipated levels. Revenues were at or above projections in the general fund (102%), streets (104%), cemetery (106%), and stormwater (106%); cemetery perpetual was at 99%. All operating expenditures remained under budgeted amounts.
• Special projects revenues were about 9% below projections; ARPA was budgeted at $1.2 million with about $487,000 spent this year.
• Kazire noted some figures will be adjusted during the audit. The audit preliminaries are scheduled for November 9-10 and field work for December 7-18.

Public Hearings

2026 Comprehensive Plan

• Mason Herman, a community planner with Marvin Planning Consultants, presented remotely from New York City. He described a two-year planning process and public engagement including July 2024 kickoff meetings, a project website, online and paper surveys, focus groups, and October 2024 town hall meetings.
• The plan includes demographic, housing, economic, and land-use data; a future land use map; a neighborhood framework; and goals and action items for the next 5-10 years.
• City staff noted the plan is more generalized than the previous plan and includes a new residential-commercial flex district, especially along Highway 26. Council Member Jerry commented that the document's sections are interconnected and should be referenced over time; Herman agreed it is a living document.
• Testimony came from the consultant and city staff; no public commenters were identified in the transcript. The council closed the hearing.

Garage Condos Redevelopment Project

• The agenda identifies the developer as Premier Garages, LLC; one transcript passage uses Premier Drivers, LLC. City staff introduced the redevelopment plan, and developer Brandon Rywish presented details.
• The project is on about four acres on West 27th Street, north of Ashley Furniture and adjacent to Wind Supply. It would be developed in two phases, with street improvements including paving part of M Street in the first phase and K Street in the second phase with help from the new landowner, Frank Storage.
• The plan calls for seven buildings of 9,000 square feet each, subdivided into six approximately 1,500-square-foot condo units per building. Units are intended for purchase or lease as small business incubators, startup space, high-end storage, and similar uses.
• Planned features include insulated, heated and cooled units, 14-by-16-foot overhead doors, bathrooms, and lease-to-own/rent-to-own options. Uses such as mechanics or car shops and outside parking/storage would be restricted, and two-hour fire separation walls are required.
• The city attorney reviewed the statutory standards for approving a TIF redevelopment plan, including conformity with the comprehensive plan and zoning, blighted/substandard findings, the but-for test, and the CRA's cost-benefit analysis. The site was recently rezoned C3 heavy commercial, and the Planning Commission and CRA made positive recommendations.
• The developer said the first phase would get two buildings up and running as proof of concept. The council closed the public hearing.

Resolutions & Ordinances

• Council approved and adopted the 2026 Comprehensive Plan by resolution; the motion was seconded and all recorded votes were yes.
• Council approved the Premier Garages, LLC redevelopment plan for the Garage Condos Redevelopment Project by resolution; all recorded votes were yes.
• Council approved the first reading of the ordinance amending Chapter 20, Article 5, regarding curb cuts and driveway approaches, and waived the remaining readings. Staff said the current code lacked enforcement, citing a property with two driveways on an arterial street; the updated ordinance is modeled in part on Omaha's code and divides approaches into residential, commercial, and industrial categories. All recorded votes were yes.

Bids & Awards

• Council awarded the bid for a new compact wheel loader for the Parks Department to Sandberg Implement, Inc. for $101,603.38. The Bobcat loader was a budgeted purchase, tested by parks staff, and selected over a Titan bid that was about $1,300 lower because it was more user-friendly and versatile. All bids included Sourcewell discounts and the award stayed under budget.

Reports from Staff, Boards & Commissions

• Council approved participation in the WNED Regional Housing Study and the City of Scottsbluff's share of $9,729.89.
• WNED is a regional economic development group. The study is intended to align communities in the Nebraska Panhandle, support the six regions, one Nebraska initiative, and make the region more attractive to developers.
• PAD contributed $80,000 to the study; the remaining cost is split among five first-class cities, with Scottsbluff's share largest because of its population. Two firms submitted RFPs - Hanna Keelan Associates and JEO - and the figures presented were based on JEO, though the group had not yet officially selected a firm. An optional online dashboard could tie into a regional infrastructure portal.

Council Reports & Resignation

• Council Member Jerry Vidlak announced he will submit his resignation effective the next day, October 20, 2026, for personal and family reasons and to relocate. He thanked supporters, voiced appreciation for city staff, and apologized to Reg Preston, whom he had urged to run for council.
• The mayor thanked Vidlak and said the resignation will be an agenda item on November 2, 2026. Accepting it will start a 45-day vacancy process, with a goal of appointing a replacement by December 7, 2026.
• The council welcomed Kira Perez, the newly approved Library Board member, who was in the audience.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the consent calendar, the Intralinks claim, the 2026 Comprehensive Plan, the Garage Condos redevelopment plan, the curb-cut ordinance with waiver, the wheel loader bid, and the WNED housing study share. Recorded votes on these items were all yes.
• Held and closed the two scheduled public hearings.
• Set a November 2, 2026 public hearing for the El Charrito liquor license and scheduled Vidlak's resignation item for that same date. The council adjourned after completing the agenda.